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Blacks fret free-for-all for Jesse Jackson Jr. seat

Losing Jackson’s seat would be a blow to the black establishment. | AP Photo

“I don’t think she would be able to get a majority if she were running against just one of these candidates,” Raoul said in an interview.

Halvorson shrugged off the accusation, saying that voters are tired of the focus on race and simply wanted to elect a member of Congress who would address their needs. With Jackson absent for months leading up to his resignation, she said, constituents are particularly frustrated.

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“People are tired of this racial stuff — they want the best person for the job,” Halvorson said. “We’ve got to elect someone who on Day One can be there for us.”

Behind the scenes, however, black officials are working to convince potential candidates of the pitfalls a large field would present. Raoul has had private conversations with several hopefuls and called on senior leaders to play an active role in unifying the black community around a single candidate.

“The problem is that it’s a short campaign,” he said. “That’s why I believe there has to be a strong message put out by the majority stakeholders.”

There are over a dozen would-be hopefuls, but black officials have identified a handful of contenders who are particularly credible. Among them: state Sens. Toi Hutchinson and Donne Trotter, Alderman Will Burns, and Cook County Chief Administrative Officer Robin Kelly.

Another possible contender is Alderwoman Sandi Jackson, Jackson Jr.’s wife. But some political observers say that with the former congressman already under federal investigation for his use of campaign funds it would be unlikely for a member of the Jackson family to try to retain the seat.

“I think it would be fraught with peril,” said Eric Adelstein, a Chicago-based Democratic strategist.

Some say the field will inevitably be winnowed, with less qualified candidates falling by the wayside to contenders who are better organized and better funded. But others predict that the contest will turn into a free-for-all for pols who can’t resist lunging for an open congressional seat. The last time a Chicago-area seat became vacant for a special election was 2009, when Mike Quigley replaced now-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

“There’s going to be a lot of people running no matter what,” Halvorson said. “This is the chance of a lifetime. Open seats don’t come along very often.”

CORRECTION: The original version of this story misstated the date of the last Chicago-area special House election.It also misstated when the first African-American joined Congress.

Readers' Comments (26)

Such a racist article. If you swap "white" for "black" and visa-versa imagine the hysteria.' White leaders concerned about a black candidate winning the seat.' If people could think about individual liberty and natural rights instead of us versus them, the country would be better off.

And who are the real racists? Really, but does it matter? The moron black voters voted in Jr under investgation for money laundering, you may as well run Marion Berry, he was quite the winner. Is OJ out of jail yet?

Halvorson what a racist witch to want to run for an open seat in Congress. Let the voters deciede if they want another Lil Jessee or maybe someone that will really represent them and work for them. But seeing as it's Chicago chances of her winning I would rate as slim to none with my money on none. I'm not sure that it's a requirement in Chicago for a dem canidate for any office to even fog a mirrow held under their nose.

All they're going to do is to replace one criminal racebaiting poverty pimp with another one. after all,it IS Chicago.Maybe Beck will put Jesse where he put Obama tonight. Laughed my rear end off. !!! Check it out at "The Blaze"